The transition to more vertical passing attacks at both the college and pro levels has made wide receiver play more important than ever. We have already seen a number of star players emerge at wide receiver through the first four weeks of the college football season and there is no doubt that they have landed on the radar of pro scouts as well. Here is a look at the top five wide receivers in the country so far this college football season.
Josh Doctson
TCU Horned Frogs
The senior wide receiver was talked about a lot heading into this season as a 6’3’’, 195-pound weapon with the speed, power, hands and route-running ability to dominate. He has more than lived up to expectations with a dominant start to his season. Doctson tied the Big 12 record with 18 catches in last week’s 55-52 win over Texas Tech and he now has 35 catches for 593 yards and six touchdowns through four games. Teammate and senior quarterback Trevone Boykin has received a lot of attention as a potential Heisman candidate and the biggest star at TCU, but Doctson leads the country in receiving yards so far this season and will continue to get more attention as he dominates the position.
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Juju Smith-Schuster
USC Trojans
The sophomore Smith-Shuster is still somewhat raw but he has all of the tools to be a star at the wide receiver position. He’s a 6’2’’, 215-pound monster that has made his mark at USC this season. Smith-Schuster has almost matched his receiving yards from last season through four games with 27 catches for 537 yards and six touchdowns. There is no doubt about what he brings to the table for the Trojans offense. Smith-Schuster might not be as dominant as Doctson just yet but he is a talented young receiver that has the potential to become a star at the pro level down the road with all of the tools to become elite.
Corey Coleman
Baylor Bears
Speaking of receivers that have the potential to become elite, there is certainly no doubt about Coleman’s ability – especially playing in a vertical passing offense at Baylor. The junior wide receiver has 17 catches for 460 yards. His eight touchdown catches are the most in the country so far this season. Coleman isn’t the biggest receiver but he can burn opponents with his speed and no receiver in the country has been more dangerous so far this season.
Daniel Braverman
Western Michigan Broncos
Braverman isn’t the physical specimen that Doctson and Smith-Schuster are, but he leads the country in receptions with 50 for 521 yards and four touchdowns through four games. He has been a real bright spot for a 1-3 Western Michigan team so far. A lot has been made about the fact that he is only 5’10’’ and 177 pounds, but he has looked dominant at times this season including, 10 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 38-21 loss to Ohio State. Braverman has the speed, soft hands and elusiveness to be an absolute star at the position. We’ve seen diminutive guys like Wes Welker and Brandin Cooks succeed at the next level and he fits that mold.
Will Fuller
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The junior wide receiver out of Notre Dame has 22 catches for 454 yards and six touchdowns this season and when it comes to big-play ability, Coleman is the only player on this list with a better yards per catch with an average of 20.6 yards per reception. Fuller is 6’0’’ and 184 pounds so he will have to put on some size in order to excel at the pro level. However, that will come with time. Mel Kiper Jr. already has him on his Big Board as one of the top receivers in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The fact that Fuller is already one of the top five receivers in the country so far this season is testament to his ability and it will be fun to watch him as the most dangerous vertical threat in the Fighting Irish offense this season.
